Sinai on a bike

Secretive bay, Sinai
Secretive bay, Sinai

Tamar, a girl we met in a desert oasis in Israel has influenced our plans. "Jordan is just like Israel twenty years ago, go to Sinai and see something entirely magical". I remember the gleam in her eyes and lips telling of the truth. A few days have passed until we managed to reach Egypt on our bicycles. On both sides of the road there is a desert landscape. High mountains around make every steep ascent even more exhausting. Short-lasting downhill parts provide a bit of relief. The afternoon sun casts a long, warm and mysterious shadows on the rocky coast of Saudi Arabia across the narrow Gulf of Aqaba.

Israel on two wheels

Some places you get an idea that half of Israel is one huge firing area
Some places you get an idea that half of Israel is one huge firing area

Instead of the promised sun and heat, it is heavy rain to greet us upon arrival. An immigration officer asks a few detailed questions, he stamps our passports and lets us in Israel. Our friend Ohn Debby picks us up from the airport. I am glad it happens, because otherwise we would have to ride our bikes in a heavy rain in the dark. We travel 50 kilometers north to town of Netanya. Israel can easily be divided into two parts. It is green, flourishing north and dry, arid south. While the north resembles a cross between Europe and the U.S., the south is completely desolated. It is a region where you can feel the authentic atmosphere of the Middle East. Thanks to Ohn's hospitality, the first few days we spend on getting to know the northern part of Israel.